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External Review by Appellation America:

Church Mouse is the catchy second label developed by the Church & State Winery for the wines whose production volumes or characteristics are not suitable for the first label. However, winery owner Kim Pullen has set the bar very high – so high that he is considering withdrawing wines from the market if they don’t score at least 86 points. Whether or not that is realistic, or even necessary, it speaks volumes for his ambition. A tax lawyer by training and the owner of major Vancouver Island marina, Pullen’s previous business successes in fish farming have given him a taste for excelling in whatever he does. Church & State’s predecessor winery was close to bankruptcy in 2004 when Pullen bought it as a turnaround project that is now emerging as a leading British Columbia winery.In the 2005 vintage, he scooped up fruit from top vineyards in the Okanagan so that his winemaker could make those 86-plus wines. The grapes in this wine come partly from the Dekleva Vineyard on the Golden Mile, a legendary source of very good Chardonnay. The rest is from the Gravelbourg Vineyard which is on Black Sage Road, across the valley. It gets its unusual name from the owner’s home town, the wheat-farming town of Gravelbourg in southern Saskatchewan.This lightly golden wine begins with appealing aromas of creamy vanilla and ripe fruit. On the palate, the wine is rich in texture, with flavours of tangerine set on well-managed oak. The finish is long, with a touch of cloves but also with a tiny bit of alcoholic heat. A pretty good 86 points.

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At Church & State, we use grapes we grow on 121 acres of the finest grape-producing regions in British Columbia.
We produce 14,000 cases of ultra premium and premium VQA white and red wines in the following varieties and vintages: Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and our full five varietal Bordeaux ... Read more

At Church & State, we use grapes we grow on 121 acres of the finest grape-producing regions in British Columbia.
We produce 14,000 cases of ultra premium and premium VQA white and red wines in the following varieties and vintages: Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and our full five varietal Bordeaux blend, "Quintessential".
Bill Dyer, our Master Winemaker and a driving force in Napa Valley wineries for 27 years, guides our wine-making operations. We age our wines in fine French oak barrels and use modern cellar tools and methods to produce high quality white and red wines.
With our main production facility moving to Oliver, the Victoria location will become our secondary wine-making area. The Okanagan winery is located in the heart of the Oliver region, with our soon to be built tasting bar amongst the vineyards on Coyote Bowl. Our Victoria winery is located on the scenic Saanich Peninsula just a short drive from downtown Victoria, the Victoria International Airport and the B.C. Ferry Terminal, amidst pastoral farms and forests on the road to the historic Butchart Gardens, the most popular attraction in Western Canada.
Each location includes a wine tasting bar and a shop where you can purchase wine gifts and wine accessories and locally hand-crafted chocolates. At the Saanich winery, we offer a large function room overlooking our vineyards and the peaks of the peninsula for your next celebration or corporate event. Read less

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External Reviews for Church & State Wines Church Mouse Chardonnay

Source: Appellation America

10/16/2008

Church Mouse is the catchy second label developed by the Church & State Winery for the wines whose production volumes or characteristics are not suitable for the first label. However, winery owner Kim Pullen has set the bar very high – so high that he is considering withdrawing wines from the market if they don’t score at least 86 points. Whether or not that is realistic, or even necessary, it speaks volumes for his ambition. A tax lawyer by training and the owner of major Vancouver Island marina, Pullen’s previous business successes in fish farming have given him a taste for excelling in whatever he does. Church & State’s predecessor winery was close to bankruptcy in 2004 when Pullen bought it as a turnaround project that is now emerging as a leading British Columbia winery.In the 2005 vintage, he scooped up fruit from top vineyards in the Okanagan so that his winemaker could make those 86-plus wines. The grapes in this wine come partly from the Dekleva Vineyard on the Golden Mile, a legendary source of very good Chardonnay. The rest is from the Gravelbourg Vineyard which is on Black Sage Road, across the valley. It gets its unusual name from the owner’s home town, the wheat-farming town of Gravelbourg in southern Saskatchewan.This lightly golden wine begins with appealing aromas of creamy vanilla and ripe fruit. On the palate, the wine is rich in texture, with flavours of tangerine set on well-managed oak. The finish is long, with a touch of cloves but also with a tiny bit of alcoholic heat. A pretty good 86 points.